Perceptions of 'healthy' or 'overweight' are really skewed by the area you live in?

@Chlorpool epi genetics is helping us gain a much deeper understanding. My DGM was obese in the 70s and very poor. She suffered extreme malnutrition and starvation growing up in the Manchester slums in the 1930s and it effected her body and her mind, the choices she made and literally every aspect of her existence.

So is your problem their outfits or their weight?

@alwaysdream do you remember Jane Norman. I'm skinny but those clothes were tiny!

A lot of food options at these kinds of events are really poor tbh. They need to have healthier options.

Historically the working classes were more likely to be shorter and slimmer due to more manual jobs and lower incomes. Poor diet was mainly due to poverty.

My dm, I was raised in the 60's and 70's, gave us a tiny bit of meat and lots of veg.
We only got fresh fruit at Christmas in our stockings.
Both my dp's worked full time too but we were poor.
Our diet though was healthy.

About 30 years ago food in the UK dropped in price in comparison to wages.
There is little excuse for anyone to not eat a healthy diet in 2026.

As for the middle classes looking down on us, that is the class system, it won't change soon.

We don't have a movement to normalise being fat at all. We have a movement that suggests it is perfectly reasonable to be proud of who you are, whatever your shape or size. Treating people with kindness and respect, not making assumptions is the least we should be doing.

Were none of the M&S food outlets open? We were there a couple of weekends ago for the summertime ball and though there wasn’t loads of choice the m&s was handy for sandwiches, fruit, salads- possible to get a healthy tea definitely.

I do think its area dependent. I live in a mc commuter town and everyone seems to run/cycle/do pilates/hyrox/tennis/padel (or all of the above!) and I very rarely see people who look overweight.

DS was classified as obese when he was weighed at school age 5 but it was probably puppy fat, he grew out of it fairly quickly. He's 16 now and slim, (hes 5'7 and weighs 8 stone)

I work in central London and most people I see aren't overweight, I read about the obesity epidemic in almost an abstract way because it doesnt reflect what I see on a daily basis. But obviously I know its a thing and varies due to area demographics.

DD went to Harry Styles last week with a friend - neither are overweight, fwiw. She bought food before going in because she knew the food at Wembley is crap and overpriced.

Im suprised your suprised especially as you live in london like me. You must have a very sheltered life, thiness is associated with affulence in the west. Have a day off and spend some time in another area harringay or croydon perhaps, see how the other half live.

I'm in an affluent area, Ireland not UK. Everyone is slim here. I'm not and it annoys me sometimes, if we have an obesity crisis why am I always the fattie. I'm size 14/16 and really trying to slim down. Dh works in a competitive job and they.are all not just slim but very fit. Everyone is competitively training for something. My workplace is mostly unfit and often more like my size, it's a low paid job.

As PP have said, there is a proven correlation between childhood obesity and affluence. I live in an affluent part of the south east. I hardly ever see an obese child/teenager there. My mum lives near a fairly deprived town in the north and the difference is noticeable and striking.

@alwaysdream So it was the sight of fat peoples flesh that shocked you?
Where do you live OP? Paris in 1962? 😂

I'm going on a caravan holiday soon and I had a look at food options on site and the vast majority is unhealthy. Burger King, Papa John's etc.

I live in outer London. I don’t think most teens are overweight here but a lot are. I often think back to my childhood. I can remember one overweight boy in my primary class and no overweight children in my secondary class - I don’t think that would happen here now.

i am also often very struck when I travel abroad at how slim people are in other countries.

I guess that the difference between richer and poorer areas may become worse in future if poorer people can’t afford WLI

If you were shocked by some fat women you need to have a reality check OP. A simple google search tells you that 60-62% of adult women in the UK are overweight and 30-32% clinically obese.

What are you hoping to achieve here? On this thread?

They know they are fat and have decided to get on with life anyway, which I salute. My poor grandma was very very poor and very. fat and so ashamed she rarely left the house, I am glad us working class people are less afraid of being seen these days.

Not sure how it relates to Harry Styles, but yes, there's a proven correlation between obesity/ other health conditions and the relative wealth of areas, so poorer areas have much higher rates of obesity, poor health and people die much younger.

I had to take my mother to A&E a few weeks ago on a Saturday night. We live in a relatively affluent area but the hospital is in a significantly and historically poor area, as are the rest of the areas included in the health board. It was quite shocking in the waiting area to see the size of the people, out of about 20 people in the room 15 were seriously obese and that included young people.

It's particularly obvious in summer because even very large young people wear the same skin tight body revealing clothes as slimmer ones. It's their choice of course, but there are many clothes out there more flattering to different body shapes.

Yeah it depends on the area. In my closest town everybody is fat, but when I go to the nearest city everyone is slim and gorgeous. I think in small towns people drive everywhere so they gain weight, whereas in cities people walk more. Living in London you’re probably surrounded by slimmer people but at big events like concerts people come from everywhere so you see more of the fatter ones.

And with regards to the food situation at Wembley they will just be selling what sells. Burgers and chips are easy to grab and eat on the go so most people are happy with that. Shame they had no vegan options though that sounds like an oversight.

The extent to which it’s ‘normal’ depends on where you live and who you associate with. People growing up with fat friends and family probably don’t see the issue.

I'm afraid I have to agree with you OP - I live in a very deprived area and feel normal, average here, but go to London or abroad then not so much 😳.
I cycle everywhere too and pretty much get the new cycle paths to myself.

If anything, I think there are fewer people promoting body positivity since WLI have become so common.